This invention relates generally to plastic bottle or container constructions, and particularly to thin walled bottles or containers which are collapsible and foldable, as well as to a process and apparatus for collapsing such bottles or containers. This continuation-in-part application relates specifically to containers as described above which are further provided with additive cups.
In the container industry, there are a number of known applications for relatively thin, flexible bottles or containers, some of the more well known of which relate to the shipment and retail sale of beverages such as milk, water, juice, etc., as well as liquid or powdered cleaners, detergents and the like. There are also a variety of applications where separate ingredients or contents are provided which are to be mixed by the user.
It is often the case that such containers must be shipped over considerable distances to distributors who fill and then ship the filled containers to retail concerns. During the initial shipment to distributors, the empty containers, for example one gallon containers, take up so much space that, from a volume standpoint, the manufacturer is shipping mostly air.
At the same time, there is great concern in the environmental arena for plastic materials which for the most part, are not reusable or recyclable, and which therefore pose significant disposal problems, particularly in light of the ever expanding utilization of plastics in virtually every area of technology. The problem is especially acute in the container industry. There is now, as a result, a national environmental issue of source reduction, i.e., how to reduce the amount of plastics utilized in the production of various products.
This invention seeks to alleviate both of the above described concerns by:
1) providing a plastic bottle or container construction which requires approximately one half of the plastic currently used in most plastic containers, particularly those which typically carry milk, water, juice, detergents (liquid or powder) and other liquids and/or particulates; and
2) shaping the containers in such a way as to facilitate collapse and folding to a compact size which results in a two or more to one increase in shipping capacity.
For purposes of this invention, the term "container" refers to plastic containers or bottles having shapes as disclosed herein. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a thin walled plastic container is manufactured by an extrusion or injection blow molding process, incorporating a thin walled construction which permits the normally self-supporting container to be collapsed and a portion or portions concentrically folded to provide a compact, nestable and/or stackable container for efficient shipment.
The container side wall in a preferred embodiment is provided with peripheral, vertically spaced steps or shoulders which facilitate axial collapse and subsequent concentric folding of portions of the side wall to provide a collapsed and folded container article with at least two adjacent, folded "layers" of side wall in generally surrounding relationship to tapered shoulder and narrow neck portions of the container.
The container side wall may also be formed originally with one or more steps, or with a smooth, tapered or even straight peripheral side wall and nevertheless collapsed and folded as will be explained further herein.
A plurality of containers collapsed and folded in the manner described above may be arranged in the form of a stack and packaged for easy and efficient shipment.
In this continuation-in-part application, containers as described above are provided with additive cups supported within the discharge opening in the upper portion of the container. Such additive cups may be utilized to hold concentrate powders, liquids, or other ingredients (referred to herein generically as "additives") which are to be poured from a first dispensing portion of the cup into the container for mixing with the contents of the container by the user. It is a significant feature of this invention, that the cup is provided with a second dispensing portion for dispensing the mixture of the container contents and additive upon pouring the additive into the container. In one exemplary embodiment, the cup is inverted after pouring the additive into the container and reattached thereto in order to serve as a dispenser of the mixture. In this exemplary embodiment, a replaceable screw cap with a removable panel therein is utilized to hold the cup in place within the discharge opening of the container, and to hold the cup in an inverted position on the container in its function as a dispenser for the mixture.
In another embodiment, a cup is provided which is integrally formed with a screw-type cap, and which includes a removable seal across the upper open end of the cup. After the seal is removed and the additive emptied into the container, the cup may be reattached to the container in its original orientation. In this embodiment, the bottom portion of the additive cup is provided with a closable aperture designed especially to receive a straw or the like in order to facilitate dispensing of the mixture.
Variations of this second embodiment of the invention are also disclosed specifically relating to the construction of the second dispensing portion of the cup, and to a replaceable cap structure for the mixture dispensing portion of the cup.
It will be appreciated, of course, that the containers of this invention may be of the thin wall collapsible type as disclosed in the parent application, and included all the advantageous features thereof including stackability, and the like. It should be understood however, that the cup construction per se may be utilized with any of a wide variety of containers.
Thus, in accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, a container assembly is provided which comprises: a main container body including a bottom wall, peripheral side wall and an open upper end adapted to receive a closure; a cup detachably supported in the open upper end and adapted to hold an additive for mixing with contents of the main container body, the cup having a first dispensing portion for pouring the additive into the main container body, and a second dispensing portion for dispensing a mixture of the contents and the additive.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a collapsed thin wall container for facilitating compact shipment of a plurality of such containers comprising a bottom wall, a peripheral side wall extending from the bottom wall, a tapered shoulder section extending from the peripheral side wall, and a reduced diameter neck portion including an opening extending from the tapered shoulder section, and the peripheral side wall including at least one portion folded outwardly and upwardly to form a first concentric folded portion extending upwardly at least to the tapered shoulder section; a cup detachably supported in the opening and adapted to hold an additive for mixing with contents of the container, the cup having a first dispensing portion for pouring the additive into the container, and a second dispensing portion for dispensing a mixture of the contents and the additive.
In still another aspect, the invention relates to a stack of collapsed and folded containers, each of which comprises a bottom wall, a peripheral side wall extending the said bottom wall, a tapered shoulder section extending from the peripheral side wall, and a reduced diameter neck portion including an opening extending from the tapered shoulder section, the peripheral side wall including at least one portion folded outwardly and upwardly to form a first concentric folded portion extending upwardly to at least the tapered shoulder section; a cup detachably supported in the opening and adapted to hold an additive for mixing with contents of the container, the cup having a first dispensing portion for pouring the additive into the container, and a second dispensing portion for dispensing a mixture of the contents and the additive.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.